Scraper control mechanism



July 15, 1969 P. E. HANSER L 55,

SCRAPER CONTROL MECHANISM Filed NOV. 26, 1965 2 sheets-sheet 1 l N VEN I 0R5 PAUL E. HANSER, ROBERT LSCHMIDT, MARVIN WCARR ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 P. E. HANSER ErAL 3,455,400

SCRAPER CONTROL MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1965 INVI ATTORNEY ROBERT L. SCHMID'LMARVIN W.CARR

United States Patent 3,455,400 SCRAPER CONTROL MECHANISM Paul E. Hanser, Rock Island, and Robert L. Schmidt, East Moline, Ill., and Marvin W. Carr, Bettendorf, Iowa, assignors to Deere & Company, Moline, 1., a cor oration of Delaware Filed Nov. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 509,756 Int. Cl. E02f 3/12, 3/76 US. Cl. 172793 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a land grading and leveling implement of the type having a rear traction vehicle with a forwardly projecting elongated beam that is connected to the vehicle and is supported at its forward end by a pair of steerable front support wheels. Still more particularly this invention relates to the blade structure that is suspended beneath the elongated beam so as to both tilt and to shift laterally or sidewise. The ability to both tilt and to shift laterally is important for the purpose of providing banks on the sides of roads or to form large ditches.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a side shift mechanism for shifting the blade structure that includes a transversely shiftable arm supported on the main beam to pivot about a fore-and-aft extending horizontal axis. A hydraulic cylinder is utilized to raise and lower the arm. The lower end of the arm is connected by an extensible link to the blade structure so that as the arm is swung vertically, it will impart a horizontal movement as well as a vertical movement of the blade structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unique extensible link between the lower end of the arm and the blade structure that includes a pair of telescoping members with the inner of the members having a series of axially spaced apart annular indentations in its outer surface. The outer of the telescoping members carries a series of locking elements or balls that may be shifted into the indentations of the inner member to thereby lock the inner member against movement. A collar is supported by and shiftable axially on the external surface of the outer member. The inner surface of the collar is shaped so as to engage and drive the locking elements or balls inwardly to be recessed in the indentations of the inner member. The collar may also be shifted so as to move an annular groove adjacent the locking elements so that they may be shifted outwardly of the annular indentation of the inner member. There is further provided a pair of opposed shoulders on the outer surface of the outer member and the inner surface of the collar and hydraulic fluid is supplied into the spacing between the shoulders so as to adjust the collar axially along the outer telescoping member. Consequently the collar may be shifted so as to move the locking elements inwardly, or may be shifted so that the locking elements may be permitted to move outwardly and out of the indentation on the inner telescoping member. When in the latter position the hydraulic cylinder that shifts the arm may be utilized to extend or retract the link connecting the arm to the scraper blade structure.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the nature of the invention is better understood from the following description and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a scraper incorporating the structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front and side perspective view of the scraper shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the parts in a different disposition than that of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the extensible link connecting the side shiftable arm to the scraper blade structure.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of the structure shown in FIG. 5 as indicated by the circular sectional portion 6 shown in FIG. 5.

The scraper leveler is composed of a main tractor 10 that is normally disposed at the rear of the implement and a pair of front steerable wheels 11 that is interconnected to the tractor 10 by a main beam structure 13 that extends longitudinally fore and aft from the tractor 10 to the steerable wheels 11. The beam structure is composed of a main fore-and-aft extending beam 1'4 and a transverse horizontally extending beam 15 that is rigid with the beam 14 and extends to opposite sides of the beam 14. The tractor 10 is provided with traction wheels 12 and the beam structure 13 carries an operators station as indicated by the seat 16 and steering wheel 17 that controls the steering of the implement. The connection between the main beam structure 13 and tractor 10 is shown in a pending application Ser. No. 468,744 and reference may be had to that application should it be considered necessary for proper understanding of the present invention.

Hydraulic controls are provided adjacent the operators seat 16 for controlling the various hydraulic systems and units on the scraper.

A blade structure, indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 20, is suspended on and beneath the transverse beam 15 by a pair of hydraulic links 21, 22 extending from opposite ends of the transverse beam 15 to opposite sides of a blade subframe 23 that is articulately connected at 24 to the forward end of the beam structure 13. The connection 24 is of a universal type that permits tilting and shifting of the subframe 23.

Oftentimes it is desirable to shift the blade structure 20 so that the blade is outboard of the wheels 11, 12 and is generally or close to being vertical. The cylinders 21, 22, while being capable of tilting the blade, are not capable of shifting it outwardly and consequently a side shift structure is required to shift it outwardly for purposes of banking the blade structure 20. The present invention relates to the side shift structure. The side shift structure is composed of an L-shaped arm 25 that has a vertical leg portion carried on a pivot pin 26 that in turn is supported by upwardly projecting bracket structure 27. The arm 25 may therefore shift transversely about the fore-and-aft extending axis of the pin 26. The arm 25 is L-shaped and, as shown in FIG. 3, may have a vertical portion lying adjacent a vertical side of the main beam 14 and a horizontal leg portion lying closely adjacent and directly beneath the underside of the main beam 14. The arm 25 is composed of a pair of identical fore-and-aft spaced apart members 30, 31 rigidly connected by flange sections 32 so as to give a bifurcated appearance to the arm 25.

A transversely extending and outwardly projecting bracket structure 33 is provided on one side of the beam 14 and is pivotally connected at 34 to the rod portion 35 of a hydraulic cylinder 36. An external collar 38 is fixed to the outer surface of the cylinder 36 and has a pair of outwardly projecting pivot pins 39 that fits adjacent the outer edge of the arm sides or members 30, 31 and is received in a bearing block, such as at 40, on the respective arm members 30, 31. Consequently as may best be seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the hydraulic unit 35, 36 extends through the bifurcated arm 25 and is pivotally supported on the arm by the bearing blocks 40 and pivot pins 39. Also, as may be seen in FIG. 3, the bifurcated arm 25 is adapted to sit on opposite sides of the bracket structure 33 when the arm is closely adjacent the beam 14.

An extendible and retractable link structure extends between the lower end of the arm 25 and a side of the subframe 23. The link structure is composed of an inner rod member 46 that is telescopingly received within an outer member 47. The outer member 47 is composed of first and second parts 48, 49 that are threadedly jointed at 50 so as to be coextensive with one another. The upper end of the link part 49 is rigid with a block 51 that carries fore-and-aft and outwardly projecting pivot pin portions 52 that extend through suitable journals 53 in the lower ends of the respective side plates 30, 31 of the arm 23.

The inner member or rod 46 is provided with a series of axially spaced apart annular surface indentations or grooves 55 adapted to receive locking elements. The upper end of the rod 46 is provided with a limiting plate 56 bolted to the end of the rod 46 and is positioned to contact a shoulder 58 on the internal surface of the telescoping outer part 48. The outer part 48 is provided with openings 60 that are circular in shape and project through the part 48. Positioned in the openings 60 are locking elements in the form of metallic balls 61 that have a slightly larger diameter than the thickness of the part 48. As may be seen in FIG. 5, the balls 61 are adapted to rest partially in the annular groove or indentation 55 when the openings 60 are in registry with one of the indentations 55. A collar 62 is supported externally and slidably on the outer telescoping member 48. The collar 62 is provided with an internal groove 63 that may, when in registry with the openings 60, receive a part of the locking elements or balls 61 so that the balls 61 may shift outwardly and out of the respective annular indentation 55. An inclined surface 64 is provided on one end of the groove 63 and will operate, when in contact with the surfaces of the balls 61, to drive the balls inwardly in response to axial movement of the collar 62. A biasing spring 65 is coiled around the outer surface of the part 48 and is disposed between the end of the collar 62 and the end of the upper part 49 that forms the upper section of the outer telescoping member 47. Consequently the collar 62 is biased toward the lower end of the link structure 45 and to a position, as shown in FIG. 5, in which the groove 63 is axially offset from the openings 60 and locking elements 61.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the outer telescoping member part 48 and the collar 62 are provided with an outer radial shoulder 67 and an inner shoulder 68 respectively that are in opposed relation to one another and define a fluid opening between them. The collar 62 has a fluid inlet 70 that receives a fitting 71 on a hydraulic hose 72. Through suitable controls, not shown, but at the operators station on the grader, fluid may be introduced and withdrawn from the fluid area between the shoulders 67, 68 so as to cause the collar 62 to move axially against the force of the spring 65 into the area of radial alignment with the openings 60 and locking elements 61. Suitable packing rings 73 are provided to prevent leakage of the hydraulic fluid.

In operation, the extensible link 45 may be adjusted by moving the collar 62 to a position in which the balls 61 may be shifted into the groove 63. When so positioned,

the hydraulic cylinder 36 may be adjusted to move the arm 25 and to extend or retract the rod 46 in respect to the outer telescoping member 47. When the desired length of the link structure 45 is reached, fluid is withdrawn from the area between the shoulders 67, 68 and the spring 65 will force the collar axially so as to lock the balls 61 in their locking position in one of the indentations 55. Consequently the hydraulic cylinder 36 and the arm 25 serve to shift the subframe 23 and also operate to extend and retract the link structure 45. Therefore, between the two operations, the entire blade structure 20 may be shifted to the desired angular and transverse position.

What is claimed is:

1. On a land grader having a main longitudinal foreand-aft beam structure in overlying and vertical spaced relation to a grader blade structure and on which the blade structure is suspended by link means extending between the beam and blade structures that are adjustable to raise and lower the sides of the blade structure, the improvement residing in a side shift mechanism comprising: means providing a fore-and-aft extending pivot above the beam structure; an arm swingable on said pivot, the arm being L-shaped and adapted to move into a position in which one leg portion is vertically disposed and closely alongside the side of the beam structure and the other leg portion is horizontally disposed and closely alongside the underside of the beam structure; a hydraulic cylinder extending between the beam structure and arm for effecting adjustment of the arm about its pivotal axis; and an extendible and retractable link device extending between the lower end of the arm and the blade structure with means thereon for locking the link device against extension and retraction.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the cylinder is composed of a rod portion and a cylinder portion and further characterized by lug means on the side of the beam structure for pivotal connection to the rod portion, and the vertical leg portion of the arm is bifurcated to receive the lug means as it moves alongside the beam structure; and further characterized by trunnion means pivotally supported on the bifurcated portion and adapted for external connection to the cylinder.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the means for locking the link against extension and retraction includes a locking device that is controlled for release by hydraulic means.

4. On a land grader having a main longitudinal foreand-aft beam structure in overlying and vertical spaced relation to a grader blade structure and on which the blade structure is suspended by link means extending between the beam and blade structures that are adjustable to raise and lower the sides of the blade structure, the improvement residing in a side shift mechanism comprising: an arm supported on th beam structure above the blade structure to swing transversely thereon about a fore-and-aft extending horizontal axis; hydraulic motor means between the arm and beam structure for selectively positioning the arm in a plurality of positions; a telescoping link device extending between the lower end of the arm and the blade structure including a pair of telescoping members, the inner of the members having axially spaced apart surface indentations and the outer of the members having radial opening means; and a hydraulically operated locking device composed of locking elements retained in said opening means shiftable radially into and out of the surface indentations and a hydraulically operated axially shiftable collar supported on the members and engageable with the locking elements to effect radial movement of the elements to and from a locking position in response to axial shifting of the collar.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 4 further characterized by biasing means between the collar and outer telescoping member for biasing the collar toward a position that holds the locking elements in the surface indentations.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 4 further characterized by the collar and outer telescoping member having internal and external shoulders respectively in opposed relation to one another; and means for moving fluid into and out of the spacing between the shoulders for shifting the collar axially.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the surface indentations are annular grooves in the surface of the inner telescoping members, the locking elements are metallic balls, the opening means are small openings that receive the balls and permit them to shift radially, and the internal surface of the collar includes an annular groove that may receive at least a portion of the balls to permit the balls to shift clear of annular grooves in the inner telescoping member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,074,565 3/ 1937 Shaeifer 37156 2,128,881 8/1938 Iverson 37156 2,768,610 10/1956 Lieser 9224 X 2,853,975 9/1958 Magnus 92-24 3,020,888 2/ 1962 Braun 92-24 X FOREIGN PATENTS 148,026 9/ 1952 Australia.

573,033 11/ 1945 Great Britain.

641,347 5/1962 Canada.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner ALAN E. KOPECKI, Assistant Examiner 

